Nicaragua

Introduction

Background

The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought a civic-military coalition, spearheaded by the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador prompted the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA was elected president in 2006, 2011, and most recently in 2016. Municipal, regional, and national-level elections since 2008 have been marred by widespread irregularities. Democratic institutions have weakened under the ORTEGA administration as the president has garnered full control over all branches of government, especially after cracking down on a nationwide antigovernment protest movement in 2018.

Geography

Location

Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 85 00 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 130,370 sq km
land: 119,990 sq km
water: 10,380 sq km
country comparison to the world: 99

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state

Land boundaries

total: 1,253 km
border countries (2): Costa Rica 313 km, Honduras 940 km

Coastline

910 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm
contiguous zone: 24nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Terrain

extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Elevation

mean elevation: 298 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,085 m

Natural resources

gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

Land use

agricultural land: 42.2% (2011 est.)
arable land: 12.5% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 2.5% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 27.2% (2011 est.)
forest: 25.3% (2011 est.)
other: 32.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

1,990 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (728 m), which last erupted in 1999, is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes; its lava flows and ash have been known to cause significant damage to farmland and buildings; other historically active volcanoes include Concepcion, Cosiguina, Las Pilas, Masaya, Momotombo, San Cristobal, and Telica

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

People and Society

Population

6,085,213 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111

Nationality

noun: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%

Languages

Spanish (official) 95.3%, Miskito 2.2%, Mestizo of the Caribbean coast 2%, other 0.5% (2005 est.)
note: English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast

Religions

Roman Catholic 50%, Evangelical 33.2%, other 2.9%, unspecified 13.2%, none 0.7% (2017 est.)

Demographic profile

Despite being one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Nicaragua has improved its access to potable water and sanitation and has ameliorated its life expectancy, infant and child mortality, and immunization rates. However, income distribution is very uneven, and the poor, agriculturalists, and indigenous people continue to have less access to healthcare services. Nicaragua's total fertility rate has fallen from around 6 children per woman in 1980 to below replacement level today, but the high birth rate among adolescents perpetuates a cycle of poverty and low educational attainment.Nicaraguans emigrate primarily to Costa Rica and to a lesser extent the United States. Nicaraguan men have been migrating seasonally to Costa Rica to harvest bananas and coffee since the early 20th century. Political turmoil, civil war, and natural disasters from the 1970s through the 1990s dramatically increased the flow of refugees and permanent migrants seeking jobs, higher wages, and better social and healthcare benefits. Since 2000, Nicaraguan emigration to Costa Rica has slowed and stabilized. Today roughly 300,000 Nicaraguans are permanent residents of Costa Rica - about 75% of the foreign population - and thousands more migrate seasonally for work, many illegally.

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.65%(male 827,585 /female 794,086)
15-24 years: 20.67%(male 632,847 /female 624,811)
25-54 years: 41.04%(male 1,186,467 /female 1,310,957)
55-64 years: 6.19%(male 173,674 /female 202,765)
65 years and over: 5.46%(male 147,324 /female 184,697) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 54.1 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 46.3 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 7.8 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 12.8 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 26.2 years (2018 est.)
male: 25.3 years
female: 27.1 years
country comparison to the world: 150

Population growth rate

0.97% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Birth rate

17.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Death rate

5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

Net migration rate

-2.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172

Population distribution

the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters

Urbanization

urban population: 58.8% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.055 million MANAGUA (capital) (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.2 years (2011/12 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality rate

198 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47

Infant mortality rate

total: 17.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 20.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 89

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.7 years (2018 est.)
male: 71.5 years
female: 76.1 years
country comparison to the world: 134

Total fertility rate

1.87 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140

Contraceptive prevalence rate

80.4% (2011/12)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.3% of population
rural: 69.4% of population
total: 87% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.7% of population
rural: 30.6% of population
total: 13% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

8.7% (2016)

Physicians density

1.01 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 76.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 55.7% of population (2015 est.)
total: 67.9% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 23.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 44.3% of population (2015 est.)
total: 32.1% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

9,400 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102

HIV/AIDS - deaths

200 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2016)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2016)
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.7% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 63

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.6% (2012)
country comparison to the world: 86

Education expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2017)
country comparison to the world: 90

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.8%
male: 82.4%
female: 83.2% (2015)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 8.5%
male: 6.4%
female: 12.9% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua
local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
local short form: Nicaragua
etymology: Nicarao was the name of the largest indigenous settlement at the time of Spanish arrival; conquistador Gil GONZALEZ Davila, who explored the area (1622-23), combined the name of the community with the Spanish word "agua" (water), referring to the two large lakes in the west of the country (Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua)

Government type

presidential republic

Capital

name: Managua
geographic coordinates: 12 08 N, 86 15 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: may derive from the indigenous Nahuatl term "mana-ahuac," which translates as "adjacent to the water" or a site "surrounded by water"; the city is situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua

Administrative divisions

15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte*, Costa Caribe Sur*, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or assent of at least half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires approval by 60% of the membership of the next elected Assembly and promulgation by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2014 (2018)

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: no, except in cases where bilateral agreements exist
residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits as of 2014); election last held on 6 November 2016 (next to be held by November 2021)
election results: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 72.4%, Maximino RODRIGUEZ (PLC) 15%, Jose del Carmen ALVARADO (PLI) 4.5%, Saturnino CERRATO Hodgson (ALN) 4.3%, other 3.7%

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by proportional representation vote; 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 6 November 2016 (next to be held by November 2021)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 71, PLC 14, ALN 2, PLI 2, APRE 1, PC 1, YATAMA 1; composition - men 50, women 42, percent of women 45.7%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms
subordinate courts: Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and labor courts; military courts are independent of the Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Carlos CANALES]
Conservative Party or PC [Alfredo CESAR]
Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Jose del Carmen ALVARADO]
Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Maria Haydee OSUNA]
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Alejandro MEJIA Ferreti]
Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]
Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Suyen BARAHONA]
Sons of Mother Earth or YATAMA [Brooklyn RIVERA]

International organization participation

BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Francisco Obadiah CAMPBELL Hooker (since 28 June 2010)
chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, 6573
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin K. SULLIVAN (since 18 December 2018)
telephone: [505] 2252-7100, 2252-7888; 2252-7100 or 8767-7100 (after hours)
embassy: Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua
mailing address: American Embassy Managua, APO AA 34021
FAX: [505] 2252-7250

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water
note: similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band

National symbol(s)

turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white

National anthem

name: "Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua)
lyrics/music: Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO
note: although only officially adopted in 1971, the music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939; the tune, originally from Spain, was used as an anthem for Nicaragua from the 1830s until 1876

Economy

Economy - overview

Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty. GDP growth of 4.5% in 2017 was insufficient to make a significant difference. Textiles and agriculture combined account for nearly 50% of Nicaragua's exports. Beef, coffee, and gold are Nicaragua’s top three export commodities.The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many Nicaraguan agricultural and manufactured goods.In 2013, the government granted a 50-year concession with the option for an additional 50 years to a newly formed Chinese-run company to finance and build an inter-oceanic canal and related projects, at an estimated cost of $50 billion. The canal construction has not started.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$36.4 billion (2017 est.)
$34.71 billion (2016 est.)
$33.17 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 124

GDP (official exchange rate)

$13.81 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.9% (2017 est.)
4.7% (2016 est.)
4.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,900 (2017 est.)
$5,600 (2016 est.)
$5,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 165

Gross national saving

24% of GDP (2017 est.)
23.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
23.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 69.9% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 15.3% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 28.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.7% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 41.2% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -55.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 15.5% (2017 est.)
industry: 24.4% (2017 est.)
services: 60% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

coffee, bananas, sugarcane, rice, corn, tobacco, cotton, sesame, soya, beans, beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, lobsters, peanuts

Industries

food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88

Labor force

3.046 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 31%
industry: 18%
services: 50% (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.4% (2017 est.)
6.2% (2016 est.)
note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008
country comparison to the world: 95

Population below poverty line

29.6% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 47.1% (2014)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

47.1 (2014)
45.8 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 27

Budget

revenues: 3.871 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 4.15 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

28% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

Public debt

33.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
31.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: official data; data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; Nicaragua rebased its GDP figures in 2012, which reduced the figures for debt as a percentage of GDP
country comparison to the world: 157

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (2017 est.)
3.5% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

Central bank discount rate

3% (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 112

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.8% (31 December 2017 est.)
11.44% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76

Stock of narrow money

$1.162 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.043 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

Stock of broad money

$1.162 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.043 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

Stock of domestic credit

$6.461 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$6.159 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.568 billion (31 December 2016)
$1.209 billion (31 December 2015)
$995 million (31 December 2014)
country comparison to the world: 102

Current account balance

-$694 million (2017 est.)
-$989 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127

Exports

$3.819 billion (2017 est.)
$3.772 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

Exports - partners

US 44.2%, El Salvador 6.4%, Venezuela 5.5%, Costa Rica 5.5% (2017)

Exports - commodities

coffee, beef, gold, sugar, peanuts, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, cigars, automobile wiring harnesses, textiles, apparel

Imports

$6.613 billion (2017 est.)
$6.384 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117

Imports - commodities

consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products

Imports - partners

US 20.8%, China 14.3%, Mexico 11.1%, Costa Rica 7.9%, Guatemala 7%, El Salvador 5.6% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.758 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.448 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Debt - external

$11.31 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.87 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Exchange rates

cordobas (NIO) per US dollar -
30.11 (2017 est.)
28.678 (2016 est.)
28.678 (2015 est.)
27.257 (2014 est.)
26.01 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 81.8% (2016)
electrification - urban areas: 99.2% (2016)
electrification - rural areas: 56.6% (2016)

Electricity - production

4.454 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

Electricity - consumption

3.59 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132

Electricity - exports

17.87 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Electricity - imports

205 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.551 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123

Electricity - from fossil fuels

56% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

Electricity - from other renewable sources

35% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175

Crude oil - imports

16,180 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178

Refined petroleum products - production

14,720 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95

Refined petroleum products - consumption

37,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Refined petroleum products - exports

460 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111

Refined petroleum products - imports

20,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

5.405 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 375,856
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 8,179,876
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 136 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

Telephone system

general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company; lowest fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration in Central America; a Russian state corporation is operating in the area; LTE service in 60 towns and cities (2018)
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 136 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Broadcast media

multiple terrestrial TV stations, supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; nearly all are government-owned or affiliated; more than 300 radio stations, both government-affiliated and privately owned (2019)

Internet country code

.ni

Internet users

total: 1,466,152
percent of population: 24.6% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 210,124
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108

Military and Security

Military expenditures

0.61% of GDP (2018)
0.62% of GDP (2017)
0.64% of GDP (2016)
0.78% of GDP (2015)
0.69% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 140

Military and security forces

Army of Nicaragua (Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN; includes Navy, Air Force) (2019)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months; requires Nicaraguan nationality and 6th-grade education (2012)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 61,031 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YN (2016)

Airports

147 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 40

Airports - with paved runways

total: 12 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2017)
under 914 m: 4 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 135 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 15 (2013)
under 914 m: 119 (2013)

Pipelines

54 km oil (2013)

Roadways

total: 23,897 km (2014)
paved: 3,346 km (2014)
unpaved: 20,551 km (2014)
country comparison to the world: 105

Waterways

2,220 km(navigable waterways as well as the use of the large Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; rivers serve only the sparsely populated eastern part of the country) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 39

Merchant marine

total: 5
by type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 3 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 163

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Bluefields, Corinto

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; Nicaragua and Costa Rica regularly file border dispute cases over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island to the ICJ; there is an ongoing case in the ICJ to determine Pacific and Atlantic ocean maritime borders as well as land borders; in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region; Nicaragua filed a case against Colombia in 2013 over the delimitation of the Continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast, as well as over the alleged violation by Colombia of Nicaraguan maritime space in the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

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